See Kate Winslet’s Titanic Screen Test: Proof That She Was Born to Play Rose

Though she did not audition alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Winslet captured the essence of her Titanic character from the very first test line.

It’s been over 25 years since one of pop culture’s greatest classics, James Cameron ‘s Titanic, hit screens and captured the hearts of millions. The anniversary re-release of the iconic film helped it beat out Cameron’s own The Way of the Water and re-enter the top 3 highest-grossing films of all time.

Rumor has it that Cameron pitched the idea for Titanic in just six words. He showed studio executives a painting of the real Titanic and said, “‘Romeo and Juliet’ on that ship.”
Of course, with the ultimate love story, it was important to find the best actors to play the young lovers. And Cameron didn’t disappoint.

The ingenious casting became an essential piece of the puzzle that made Titanic such an iconic film. Today, it is impossible to imagine anyone other than Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio playing Rose and Jack. In fact, it seems that the film would not have become a timeless classic without the undeniable chemistry and onscreen magic of the young actors.

In a new anniversary video released by Paramount Pictures, James Cameron and producer Jon Landau reflect on the process of casting Kate Winslet.

“We were looking at all the young actresses, up-and-coming, and Kate’s name kept coming up,” Cameron says.

Despite stiff competition from Gwyneth Paltrow, Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, and Reese Witherspoon, the director believed that no one else could pull off the role of an upscale 1910s Juliet better than the 19-year-old Winslet. And the screen test proved the director right.

Filmed in a period setting and with the use of appropriate costumes, her performance is so flawless that the scene would look like a deleted scene from the movie if Jack had been played by DiCaprio instead of Jeremy Sisto. The test proves that Kate was handmade for this role. Somehow the actress connects with Rose from the very first line and no character development seems to be necessary.

“Coming out of that, there was no question in our mind that Kate Winslet was the right person to play Rose,” Jon Landau said.